Staff Software Engineer

Staff Software EngineerAs a Staff Software Engineer for John Deere World Headquarters located in Chicago, IL, you will:Lead architecture, design, and implementation of complex, multisystem solutions across multiple digital productsAnalyze business needs and define system specifications and architectural requirementsLead design reviews that ensure high quality, maintainable, scalable, reliable, and secure software and data productsDevelop coding standards, integration patterns, and data pipeline standards in partnership with architects and principal engineersProvide expert full stack leadership, defining patterns and enabling delivery across React/Redux front ends, Java/Spring Boot and Python microservices, and secure REST APIs (Java, Spring, Node, serverless), while enforcing secure by design practices and mentoring engineers to apply them consistentlyLead the definition, implementation, and validation of non-functional requirements, including scalability, reliability, performance, availability, and securityGuide teams in designing for operational excellence, including resilience, fault tolerance, disaster recovery, and production readinessEstablish observability standards using platforms such as New Relic, Datadog, CloudWatch, or Grafana, ensuring services are instrumented with high quality logs, metrics, traces, dashboards, and alertsDrive platform standardization efforts by shaping reusable architectural patterns, shared components, and common frameworks across Global ITMentor and coach junior and senior engineers to build deep technical capability across stacksPromote best practices for engineering, design, documentation, code review, and operational readinessStay current with emerging technologies, engineering trends, and cloud native practices; continuously upskill and adapt to evolving business needsEvaluate new tools, frameworks, and patterns to determine their strategic fit for long term architecture and platform evolutionCollaborate with Product Managers, UX, Architecture, and cross functional teams to shape product roadmapsRepresent engineering in strategic discussions and help define long term technology directionPromote a culture of learning, continuous improvement, and knowledge sharing across Global ITLead AI assisted engineering practices by shaping agent oriented development patterns (prompt design, tool orchestration, guardrails) that accelerate delivery while preserving code quality, security, and traceabilityPractice and scale Vibe Coding as a core discipline—use AI pair programming to draft code, tests, and documentation at speed, and validate outputs rigorously through reviews, static analysis, and automated testing before mergeVISA Sponsorship is NOT available for this positionWhat Skills You Need8 or more years of experience designing and developing backend applications using Java frameworks, servlets, J2EE, and Spring or Spring Boot6 or more years of experience developing front end applications using JavaScript, HTML, CSS, React, and Redux4 or more years operating cloud native systems in AWS or Azure, including containers (Docker) and orchestration (Kubernetes or EKS)4 or more years building serverless applications using AWS Lambda and API Gateway or equivalent5 or more years designing and integrating databases with technologies such as MongoDB, DynamoDB, and relational databasesProven ability to work with architects, product leaders, and principal engineers to align technology strategyExperienced in designing secure systems, applying security by design principles, and implementing authentication and authorization frameworks such as OAuth, OIDC, and SAMLDemonstrated ability to lead design reviews, mentor engineers, and influence teams across organizational boundariesEvaluate new tools, frameworks, and patterns to determine their strategic fit for long term architecturePromote a culture of learning within the team and encourage knowledge sharing across Global ITHands on observability expertise instrumenting services and creating actionable dashboards/alerts with New Relic, Datadog, CloudWatch, or Grafana; strong grasp of metrics, logs, traces, SLOs/SLAs, and on call readinessNon functional engineering leadership designing for scalability, reliability, performance, and availability, including load shedding, autoscaling, partitioning, caching, and high availability/failover patternWhat Makes You StandoutDemonstrated passion for continuous learning, upskilling, and staying current with cloud, AI, and engineering trendsAWS or Azure cloud certificationsExperience with event driven architectures and distributed messagingExperience contributing to or defining cross team architectural patternsStrong communication and stakeholder alignment skillsExperience applying AI assisted engineering (agentic workflows, prompt patterns, secure guardrails) to improve speed and qualityProficiency with Vibe Coding practices and agentic development, including disciplined review and verification of AI generated code, tests, and documentationEducationBachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or closely related fieldWhat You'll GetAt John Deere, you are empowered to create a career that will take you to where you want to go while working in an inclusive team environment. Here, you'll enjoy the freedom to explore new projects, the support to think outside the box and the advanced tools and technology that foster innovation and achievement. Additionally, we offer a comprehensive reward package to help you get started on your new career path, including:Flexible work arrangementsHighly competitive base paySavings & Retirement benefits (401K and Defined Contribution)Healthcare benefits with a generous company contribution in the Health Savings AccountAdoption assistanceEmployee Assistance ProgramsTuition assistanceFitness subsidies and on-site gyms at specific Deere locationsCharitable contribution matchEmployee Purchase Plan & numerous discount programs for personal useVacation and Holiday Pay$141,132.00 - $211,692.00 + BenefitsFollow this link to learn more about our Total Rewards Package be 18 years of age or older to applyThe information contained herein is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and qualifications required of individuals performing the job. The qualifications detailed in this job description are not considered the minimum requirements necessary to perform the job, but rather as guidelines.The terms of the applicable benefit plans, and all company actions administering or interpreting these plans, continue to control. Deere & Company reserves the right to suspend, amend, modify, or terminate the Plan(s) in any manner at any time, including the right to modify or eliminate any cost-sharing between the company and participants. Changes, which can be made at any time, are made by action of the company's board of directors, or to the extent authorized by resolution of its board of directors, or by the Deere & Company Compensation Committee. In the event of a conflict between the language of the official Plan Documents and this document, the language of the official Plan Documents will control.ACA Section 1557 Nondiscrimination NoticeThe John Deere Health Benefit Plans for Salaried Employees and The John Deere Benefit Plan for Wage Employees comply with applicable Federal civil rights laws and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, status as a protected veteran, or status as a qualified individual with disability.